Nigel Foster (kayaker)
Encyclopedia
Nigel Foster is an English sea kayak
er, kayak
designer, instructor and author. He is the first and youngest paddler to circle Iceland
by kayak.
Foster started paddling in Brighton
, England when he was 15 in a skin-on-frame kayak. At Burwash Place Outdoor Activity Centre, Burwash, Sussex, England, Foster learned to handle whitewater
, sea kayak
ing and surf kayaking
. From 1971 to 1972 he was employed there as a "trainee instructor". He enjoyed the mix of Outdoor Activity instruction and Environmental Studies education and decided to pursue this as a career. He attended a three year teachers training course at Redland College
, Bristol, and gained classroom experience with two years teaching at a school in Buckinghamshire.
In 1977, after his Iceland circumnavigation, Foster was employed by East Sussex
County Council to teach as "instructor/teacher” at Burwash Place. Later in 1977 he was promoted to deputy warden.
At the same time he continued his explorations with trips that included the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland and a voyage from the English Channel through France down to the Mediterranean.
In 1981 when the center was closed as part of regional cutbacks to education spending, he was redeployed as a schoolteacher, but resigned in summer 1981 to attempt a major kayak expedition - a solo trip from Iqaluit 63.748611°N 68.519722°W at the SE end of Baffin Island
along Frobisher Bay
to Resolution Island
61.5°N 65°W. He had to cross the 40 miles of open water in the Hudson Strait
to reach the Lacy Island
60.675556°N 64.598333°W, northernmost of the Button Islands
and part of the Northern Coast of Labrador
.
The tidal range in this area may exceed 40 feet while tidal streams may run at more than seven knots. After fighting the tidal streams in the dark near the Button Islands, suffering frostbitten fingers and loss of gear, Foster eventually gave up on this expedition. He was able to catch a ride on an oil tanker that happened to have taken shelter behind Killiniq Island
60.366667°N 64.616667°W. The trip was described by the editor of the BCU Canoeing Handbook in 1989 as "arguably the most impressive of any sea kayak adventure in the world."
After his return to England - from 1982 to 1985 - he worked as an instructor at the Plas Menai
, National Water Sports Centre, North Wales, primarily instructing kayaking, canoeing, boardsailing, mountaineering, with a little water-skiing, and sailing, gaining the following British Canoe Union
(BCU) national qualifications in these fields.
He also served for many years on the BCU Sea Touring Committee, and the BCU Expeditions Sub-Committee.
In 1985 he left for Iceland for six weeks, helping an expedition group from Cambridge with logistics and leading the kayaking component. He returned to start his own kayaking business. He taught local groups in Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Canada and the United States.
The design label "Foster Rowe" emerged for a while as a collaboration with two other top kayak coaches, (Andy Middleton & Ray Rowe) with products such as paddling jackets, personal flotation devices (PFDs) and tow-systems designed for leading edge performance.
Subsequently working alone, the "Nigel Foster" signature paddle blade was released by Nimbus in Canada, and Foster worked in a design/consultant capacity with companies including Liquidlogic, Bending Branches and Extrasport in USA. (e.g. ExtraSport Tow-system).
In the late summer of 2004, accompanied by Kristin Nelson, he finally completed Baffin Island to Labrador expedition by paddling from Kuujjuaq 58.106667°N 68.398611°W in Ungava Bay
to Nain
56.542222°N 61.692778°W - a distance of over 675 miles of uninhabited coastline - in which there were numerous encounters with polar bear
s.
In 2008, at the 6th Annual Induction Ceremony, Nigel Foster was inducted into the International Halls of Fame: Bicycling, Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking as a Kayaker.
Since 2007 Foster has been the head of research and development at Point65. In addition to designing products forPoint65, He also acts as a spokesperson and assists the company with PR, marketing and special events. Foster presently lives in Seattle, WA with his wife Kristin Nelson.
The "Legend Series" produced by Seaward Kayaks are three expedition-capable sea kayaks designed for easy and fast cruising.
The "Whisky Series" produced by Point65
Also built by Point 65
Sea kayak
A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spraydeck...
er, kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
designer, instructor and author. He is the first and youngest paddler to circle Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
by kayak.
Foster started paddling in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England when he was 15 in a skin-on-frame kayak. At Burwash Place Outdoor Activity Centre, Burwash, Sussex, England, Foster learned to handle whitewater
Whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...
, sea kayak
Sea kayak
A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spraydeck...
ing and surf kayaking
Surf Kayaking
Surf Kayaking is the sport, technique, and equipment, used in surfing ocean waves with kayaks. Surf kayaking has many similarities to surf board surfing, but with boats designed for use in surf zones, and with a paddle...
. From 1971 to 1972 he was employed there as a "trainee instructor". He enjoyed the mix of Outdoor Activity instruction and Environmental Studies education and decided to pursue this as a career. He attended a three year teachers training course at Redland College
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
, Bristol, and gained classroom experience with two years teaching at a school in Buckinghamshire.
In 1977, after his Iceland circumnavigation, Foster was employed by East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
County Council to teach as "instructor/teacher” at Burwash Place. Later in 1977 he was promoted to deputy warden.
At the same time he continued his explorations with trips that included the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland and a voyage from the English Channel through France down to the Mediterranean.
In 1981 when the center was closed as part of regional cutbacks to education spending, he was redeployed as a schoolteacher, but resigned in summer 1981 to attempt a major kayak expedition - a solo trip from Iqaluit 63.748611°N 68.519722°W at the SE end of Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
along Frobisher Bay
Frobisher Bay
Frobisher Bay is a relatively large inlet of the Labrador Sea in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island...
to Resolution Island
Resolution Island (Nunavut)
Resolution Island is one of the many uninhabited Canadian Arctic islands in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut. It is a Baffin Island offshore island located in Hudson Strait. It has an area of...
61.5°N 65°W. He had to cross the 40 miles of open water in the Hudson Strait
Hudson Strait
Hudson Strait links the Atlantic Ocean to Hudson Bay in Canada. It lies between Baffin Island and the northern coast of Quebec, its eastern entrance marked by Cape Chidley and Resolution Island. It is long...
to reach the Lacy Island
Lacy Island
Lacy Island is one of the many uninhabited Canadian arctic islands in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut. It is located at the confluence of Hudson Strait and the Labrador Sea...
60.675556°N 64.598333°W, northernmost of the Button Islands
Button Islands
The Button Islands are located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in the territory of Nunavut. They are surrounded by Ungava Bay, Hudson Strait, Labrador Sea, and they are on the north side of Gray Strait. The Button Islands measure ....
and part of the Northern Coast of Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
.
The tidal range in this area may exceed 40 feet while tidal streams may run at more than seven knots. After fighting the tidal streams in the dark near the Button Islands, suffering frostbitten fingers and loss of gear, Foster eventually gave up on this expedition. He was able to catch a ride on an oil tanker that happened to have taken shelter behind Killiniq Island
Killiniq Island
Killiniq Island is a small, remote island in northeastern Canada. Located at the extreme northern tip of Labrador between Ungava Bay and the Labrador Sea, it is notable in that it contains the only land border between Nunavut territory and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador...
60.366667°N 64.616667°W. The trip was described by the editor of the BCU Canoeing Handbook in 1989 as "arguably the most impressive of any sea kayak adventure in the world."
After his return to England - from 1982 to 1985 - he worked as an instructor at the Plas Menai
Plas Menai
Plas Menai is the National Watersports Centre for Wales. It is situated on the mainland side of the Menai Strait, and is approximately 3 miles East of Caernarfon, North Wales.-History:...
, National Water Sports Centre, North Wales, primarily instructing kayaking, canoeing, boardsailing, mountaineering, with a little water-skiing, and sailing, gaining the following British Canoe Union
British Canoe Union
The British Canoe Union is a national governing body for canoeing in the United Kingdom, whose stated purpose is "Helping and Inspiring people to go canoeing”....
(BCU) national qualifications in these fields.
- BCU Level 5 Coach Sea Kayak
- BCU Level 5 Coach Surf Kayak
- BCU Level 3 Coach Inland Kayak (also 5 Star Award Inland Kayak)
- BCU Level 3 Coach Open Canoe (also 5 Star Award Open Canoe)
He also served for many years on the BCU Sea Touring Committee, and the BCU Expeditions Sub-Committee.
In 1985 he left for Iceland for six weeks, helping an expedition group from Cambridge with logistics and leading the kayaking component. He returned to start his own kayaking business. He taught local groups in Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Canada and the United States.
The design label "Foster Rowe" emerged for a while as a collaboration with two other top kayak coaches, (Andy Middleton & Ray Rowe) with products such as paddling jackets, personal flotation devices (PFDs) and tow-systems designed for leading edge performance.
Subsequently working alone, the "Nigel Foster" signature paddle blade was released by Nimbus in Canada, and Foster worked in a design/consultant capacity with companies including Liquidlogic, Bending Branches and Extrasport in USA. (e.g. ExtraSport Tow-system).
In the late summer of 2004, accompanied by Kristin Nelson, he finally completed Baffin Island to Labrador expedition by paddling from Kuujjuaq 58.106667°N 68.398611°W in Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay is a large bay in northeastern Canada separating Nunavik from Baffin Island. The bay is shaped like a rounded square with a side length of about and has an area of approximately...
to Nain
Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador
Nain or Naina is the northernmost town of any size in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located about 370 kilometres by air from Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The town was established as a Moravian mission in 1771 by Jens Haven and other missionaries...
56.542222°N 61.692778°W - a distance of over 675 miles of uninhabited coastline - in which there were numerous encounters with polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
s.
In 2008, at the 6th Annual Induction Ceremony, Nigel Foster was inducted into the International Halls of Fame: Bicycling, Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking as a Kayaker.
Since 2007 Foster has been the head of research and development at Point65. In addition to designing products forPoint65, He also acts as a spokesperson and assists the company with PR, marketing and special events. Foster presently lives in Seattle, WA with his wife Kristin Nelson.
Published Works
- Storry, T, Ed. (19861989 in literatureThe year 1989 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 24 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini places a US$3 million bounty for the death of The Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.-Literature:...
) Snowdonia White Water Sea and Surf Appendix 1, 'The Sea Birds of North Wales, by Nigel Foster', pp 146–151, Milnthorpe Cumbria: Cicerone Press, ISBN 0902363 77 8
- Storry, T., Baillie, M. and Foster, N. (19891989 in literatureThe year 1989 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 24 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini places a US$3 million bounty for the death of The Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.-Literature:...
). Raging Rivers, Stormy Seas. Dobbs Ferry: Sheridan House Inc, ISBN 0946609608
- Rowe, R, British Canoe Union et al (19891989 in literatureThe year 1989 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 24 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini places a US$3 million bounty for the death of The Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.-Literature:...
) British Canoe Union Canoeing Handbook. second edition, Nottingham : British Canoe Union, ISBN 0-900082-04-6
- Foster, N. (19901990 in literatureThe year 1990 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*J. K. Rowling gets the idea for Harry Potter while on a train ride from Manchester to London. She says "I was staring out the window, and the idea for Harry just came. He appeared in my mind's eye, very fully formed...
) Canoeing: A Beginner's Guide to the Kayak. Arundel: Fernhurst Books, ISBN 9780906754504
- Foster, N. (19971997 in literatureThe year 1997 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tom Clancy signs a book deal with Pearson Custom Publishing and Penguin Putnam Inc. , giving him US$50 million for the world-English rights to two new books . A second agreement gives him another US$25 million for a...
) Nigel Foster's Sea Kayaking. 2nd ed. West Sussex, England: Globe Pequot, ISBN 0762701323
- Foster, N. (19981998 in literatureThe year 1998 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*March 5 - Tennessee Williams' 1938 play, Not About Nightingales, receives its stage première....
). Nigel Foster's Surf Kayaking. Guilford: The Globe Pequot Press, ISBN 0762702184
- Foster, N. (19991999 in literatureThe year 1999 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*June 19 - Stephen King is hit by a Dodge van while taking a walk. He spends the next three weeks hospitalized...
) Guide to Sea Kayaking in Southern Florida. Guilford: Globe Pequot, ISBN 0762703369
- Foster, N. (20032003 in literatureThe year 2003 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Peter Ackroyd - The Clerkenwell Tales*Atsuko Asano - No...
) Open Canoe Technique: a Complete Guide to Paddling the Open Canoe. Guilford: Globe Pequot, ISBN 0762730854
- Foster, N. (20062006 in literatureThe year 2006 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Literature:*Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun*Chris Adrian - The Children's Hospital *Martin Amis - House of Meetings...
) Kayaking: a Beginner's Guide. Arundel: Wiley, ISBN 1898660522
- Foster, N. (20092009 in literatureThe year 2009 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*8 October - Romanian-born German novelist Herta Müller wins the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature....
) Stepping Stones: of Ungava and Labrador. Parker CO: Outskirts Press, ISBN 978-1432745554
- Foster, N. 'Winging It', Sea Kayaker, June 1996
Filmography
Nigel Foster Sea Kayaking Series six instructional sea kayaking DVDs produced by Starling Productions, Inc.. Play by play log.- Getting Started
- Essential Strokes
- Directional Control
- Rescues
- Forward Paddling
- Rolling and Bracing
Kayak Designs
- Vyneck - Foster first design in 1977 - an expedition kayak produced in association with Keith Robinson
- Rumour - Touring kayak built by Current Designs
The "Legend Series" produced by Seaward Kayaks are three expedition-capable sea kayaks designed for easy and fast cruising.
- Legend
- Silhouette sized for the smaller paddler
- Shadow sized for the larger paddler
The "Whisky Series" produced by Point65
Also built by Point 65
- Cappucino a day boat - no longer in production
- DoubleShot a tandem sea kayak
Sources
- Connecticut Sea Kayakers: Newsletter, June 1997
- Connecticut Sea Kayakers: Newsletter, May 2005
- Mats Bengtsson kayaking and kayak techniques: 'A One Day Kayak Course with Kayak Guru Nigel Foster'
- Sea Kayak Podcasts: 'Nigel Foster - the coach all sea kayak coaches respect. Another great personal tale.'
- Sweetwaterkayaks: 'Nigel Foster'
- Point65: 'Nigel Foster joins Point65!'
- Point65: 'Introducing the Whisky 16 and DoubleShot'
External links
- http://www.nigelkayaks.com/
- http://www.nigelfosterdesigns.com/
- http://www.nigelfosterkayaks.com/ - source for data on the DVD
- http://nigel-kayak.blogspot.com/